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Berlin-based Colombian DJ, producer, and curator Edna Martinez presents a sonic journey into the electrifying world of Picó—the vibrant and dynamic sound system culture that has defined the streets of Cartagena and Barranquilla for decades. More than just a musical movement, Picó is a way of life, a bold expression of identity, community, and resistance. From its roots in the working-class neighbourhoods of Colombia’s Caribbean coast to its deep connections with Africa and the Caribbean, this compilation captures the pulse of a culture where music is played at full volume, rhythms travel across oceans, and dance is both a form of celebration and storytelling. For those unfamiliar, Picós are hand-painted sound systems, often adorned with dazzling colours and striking imagery, each with its own name and sonic identity. These mobile discos became the heart of neighbourhood bailes, where the sounds of champeta, highlife, soukous, mbaqanga, zouk, soca, and cumbia would turn every street corner, market, and terrace into a dancefloor. Initially built by local craftsmen using modified speaker components, Picós became legendary for their powerful bass and exclusivity, with DJs sourcing rare vinyl from African and Caribbean ports and rebranding them with unique piconemas—new names adapted to local slang, making the tracks instantly recognisable within the community.

This compilation brings together a carefully curated selection of these rare and sought-after tracks, tracing the deep-rooted musical exchanges between Colombia, West and Central Africa, and the Caribbean. Featuring artists like Los Corraleros De Majagual, Peacocks International Highlife Band, Pedro Lima, Zaïko Langa Langa, and more, the album also includes edits by Edna Martinez, reimagining these timeless rhythms for contemporary audiences while staying true to their original spirit.

Strut presents ‘Picó! Sound System Culture From The Colombian Carribbean’ across 2LP Vinyl, 1CD & Digital focusing on a celebration of the raw, undiluted energy of Picó culture. Through Edna Martinez’s curation, and extensive liner notes, this compilation offers a powerful and authentic glimpse into one of the most vibrant musical traditions of the Colombian Caribbean

Analogue Productions' UHQR, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl! 45 RPM Ultra High Quality Record release limited to 5,000 copies Mastered from the original tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using Clarity Vinyl® Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!

By the time Bob Marley died, he was one of the world's first global superstars, famous and lauded from Europe through Africa and the Americas. Some even saw him as not just a reggae singer but as a folk hero, a sort of freedom fighter, and to this day his enduring image feels greater than the music he made, writes Pitchfork. In the 21st century, Bob Marley is a global cultural icon and the first Jamaican inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 1977's Exodus — recorded in London exile after a failed attempt on his life — turned out to be Marley's biggest-selling studio album.

Time magazine named it the greatest LP of the 20th century. Other Marley discs had bigger hits and still others had better album tracks, but the balance Marley strikes between politics, religion, and romance on Exodus — compare and contrast the urgent title track and the laid-back "Jamming" — shows a pop star at the peak of his powers.

Now, Analogue Productions presents perfection — Exodus in UHQR 45 RPM format on Clarity Vinyl. This Ultra High Quality Record release will be limited to 4,500 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets. After the success of 1974's Natty Dread and 1976's Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley was not only the most successful reggae musician in the world, he was one of the most powerful men in Jamaica. Powerful enough, in fact, that he was shot by gunmen who broke into his home in December 1976, days before he was to play a massive free concert intended to ease tensions days before a contentious election for Jamaican Prime Minister.

In the wake of the assassination attempt, Marley and his band left Jamaica and settled in London for two years, where he recorded Exodus. Exodus represented a subtle but significant shift for Marley; while he continued to speak out against political corruption and for freedom and equality for Third World people, his skill as a songwriter was as strong as ever, and Exodus boasted more than a few classics, "including the title song, 'Three Little Birds,' 'Waiting in Vain,' and 'Turn Your Lights Down Low,' tunes that defined Marley's gift for sounding laid-back and incisive at once," writes AllMusic. This UHQR is remastered at 45 RPM by Sterling Sound's Ryan K. Smith from the original analog master tapes. Each UHQR will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Acoustic Sounds' industry-leading pressing plant Quality Record Pressings (QRP) using hand-selected Clarity Vinyl® with attention paid to every single detail. These records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a custom clamshell box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.

Bob Marley & The Wailers' Rastaman Vibration Analogue Productions' UHQR, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl! 45 RPM 2LP Ultra High Quality Record release limited to 4,500 copies Mastered from the original tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound Pressed on 180-gram at Quality Record Pressings using Clarity Vinyl® Includes "12 x 12" 8-page booklet featuring new liner notes by musician and Marley biographer Leroy Jodie Pierson (APO Records Direct-To-Disc AAPO 005), plus exclusive photos by Kim-Gottlieb Walker Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!

When Rastaman Vibration was first released in America in 1976 it did what some in the music industry considered nearly impossible at the time. It took Bob Marley into the Top Ten alongside disco records and corporate rock, points out Rolling Stone, which rates the album 4 stars. Despite the good cheer of the title track and the upbeat "Roots, Rock, Reggae," Rastaman Vibration contains some of Marley's most intense images of oppression, paranoia and despair. Tracks such as "Who the Cap Fit," "Crazy Baldhead" and "War" are offered by the Wailers with dire urgency as Marley's brutal visions are echoed by his own church choir, the I-Threes.

More than four decades later, neither Marley's music nor his message has lost its sting. Now, Analogue Productions presents perfection — Rastaman Vibration cut at 45 RPM in UHQR format on 180-gram 2LP Clarity Vinyl. This Ultra High Quality Record release will be limited to 4,500 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets. For Bob Marley, 1975 was a triumphant year. The singer's Natty Dread album featured one of his strongest batches of original material (the first compiled after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) and delivered Top 40 hit "No Woman No Cry." The follow-up Live set, a document of Marley's appearance at London's Lyceum, found the singer conquering England as well. Upon completing the tour, Marley and his band returned to Jamaica, laying down the tracks for Rastaman Vibration (1976) at legendary studios run by Harry Johnson and Joe Gibbs.

At the mixing board for the sessions were Sylvan Morris and Errol Thompson, Jamaican engineers of the highest caliber. Of the material on Rastaman Vibration, "War," for one, remains one of the most stunning statements of the singer's career. Though it is essentially a straight reading of one of Haile Selassie's speeches, Marley phrases the text exquisitely to fit a musical setting, a quiet intensity lying just below the surface. Equally strong are the likes of "Rat Race,""'Crazy Baldhead," and "Want More."

These songs are tempered by buoyant, lighthearted material like "Cry to Me," "Night Shift," and "Positive Vibration." Not quite as strong as some of the love songs Marley would score hits with on subsequent albums, "Cry to Me" seems like an obvious choice for a single and remains underrated. This UHQR is remastered at 45 RPM by Sterling Sound's Ryan K. Smith from the original analog master tapes. Each UHQR will be pressed at Acoustic Sounds' industry-leading pressing plant Quality Record Pressings (QRP) using hand-selected Clarity Vinyl® with attention paid to every single detail. These records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center.

Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a custom clamshell box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product. In addition to the UHQR booklet the package will contain a 8-page 12" x 12" booklet containing new liner notes by musican and Marley biographer Leroy Jodie Pierson as well as exclusive photos by Kim-Gottlieb Walker. Pierson is a past performer for Blues Masters at the Crossroads, the two-night historic blues festival at Blue Heaven Studios in Salina, Kansas. He's also recorded a Direct-To-Disc blues album for APO Records. (AAPO 005) Rastaman Vibration — now a landmark production on 180-gram 45 RPM Analogue Productions UHQR Clarity Vinyl!

Limited Edition 12” of the Remix Contest Winners!

In November 2024, 2 Flying Stones organized a remix contest. Four of the winners are featured on this 12” record.
The Funkhauser remix is already making waves in the jumpstyle scene. It is regularly played on harddance radio shows and festival main stages.
The Andy Cley remix is more downbeat and a great addition to the club circuit. Another winner, young talent Junotheoriginal, his remix takes a more artistic approach and could resonate well within the Gen Z scene.

Rounding out the release is a credible, club-oriented version by Antwerp-based producer Groove 81.

These four different versions, each growing within their own scenes, make for an impactful 12” release!

Joe Bataan's extensive discography was expanded in 2022 with the release of some old recordings from the King of Latin Soul that had never been previously published. After the success of his album "Riot!" (1968), Bataan had easy access to a studio whenever inspiration struck to record a new song sketch or even a complete track. Sometimes, he would finish the recording entirely and offer it in its final version to Fania for release. This usually worked, although on some occasions, the song was rejected. In the case of 'Drug Story,' the track was recorded without a clear final purpose, even though Bataan hoped it would become part of an album. When the Fania executives heard the result, they immediately rejected it, thinking it promoted drug use. The tapes were filed away and lost in oblivion until they ended up in a thrift store in New York. From there, they were rescued by a Latin music specialist and later sold, eventually making their way to the Vampisoul archives. The song was finally released in its entirety in 2022 on the LP "Drug Story" by Now Again. It features a long, slow vocal intro that evolves into a more uptempo track with two very distinct parts, to the point that it almost feels like two different songs. It transports us to the best moment of Joe Bataan's career, with all of his classic ingredients, delivering a track as good as his most famous songs. Bataan himself takes on the lead vocals and piano, Bobby Rodríguez handles the flute, sax, and bass, Pete 'Choki' Quintero plays the drums, and William Howes Jr. plays the electric guitar with wah-wah effects. Vampisoul strongly believes that the song deserved to be released as a single as well, and that its structure was perfect for each side to have a separate identity. So here it is, for the first time on a 45, 'Drug Story,', parts one & two, the long lost track by Joe Bataan. Pure Latin soul, recorded at the peak of the artist's career!

Friction’s best-selling album "Afterdark" just got even bigger.

Back by popular demand, the legendary Drum and Bass pioneer returns with a brand-new deluxe edition featuring 4 exclusive remixes from some of the scene’s most cutting-edge producers.
From high-energy reworks to deep, atmospheric flips, these fresh takes breathe new life into the tracks you love, while staying true to the pulse-pounding spirit of the original.

Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the world of Friction this is a must-have addition to your collection.

"Stop & Go", released in 1973, is o)en considered one of Hamilton Bohannon's finest works. This album showcases a dis6nct and primal funk sound, different from his later, more disco-oriented material. It is a highly regarded funk album, characterized by its deep grooves, inven6ve arrangements, and a unique blend of instrumental funk with soulful vocal touches. It stands out as a more nuanced and varied offering compared to some of his later, more direct disco releases, making it a must-listen for fans of early 70s funk.

This is a tribute & was made during a place of sadness & grief for two amazing humans we lost last years, Rob Maguire on 18 december 2023 & Lea-Rose Besson aka Radical Softness on 15 February 2024.

They were the most unconditional loving persons I ever met, sharing love, breathing love, teaching us so much about being better everyday, leaving us as their mission on Earth were completed.

Still, the ones who stay, stand still. With only our memories to remember their souls, being infused by their aura of life forever. Its from those people when you feel instantly good around, making you feel comfortable, loving yourself more, accepting yourself & being vulnerable while powerful.

From all over the world and especially in Berlin, many of us where impacted so much by their kindness and souls, offering us a space to be heard & seen, when so many of us couldn't. We all know that it was such a privilege to knew them & shared wisdom with and timeless experiences, being kids around old souls, teaching us how to love beyond time & space.

Its from this place that most of the tracks of this EP were created, fighting for resilience through dark times. I felt the need to make them this tribute while healing from pain to find love in myself and others. Being grateful for everything that happens in life even if it never last.

Gaman, from the Japanese means, perseverance. That illustrate never giving up on ourselves, our dreams, our life, keep shining one day after the other, because being alive is the most unique privilege we will ever have.

While everything is temporary, music still belong, making them heard a little bit longer through vibrations.

My dear Rob, my dear Lea, may you rest in peace, may we see us again in another realm. We love you.

Pink Butter’s debut EP is a bold fusion of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and indie, blending structured composition with raw improvisation. Rooted in deep grooves and spontaneous creativity, the project channels influences like J Dilla, D’Angelo, and Robert Glasper while carving out a sound uniquely their own.

With live instrumentation at its core, the band brings an organic, dynamic energy that bridges classic and contemporary influences. Collaborations with legendary artists like T3 of Slum Village and Jermaine Holmes (D’Angelo) add an undeniable depth, reinforcing their vision of modern soul-jazz innovation. This release isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s an experience where musical chemistry and fearless creativity take centre stage.
Pink Butter is a Scandinavian collective of four musicians—Oskar Bettinsoli (guitar), Björn Lehnert (keys), Malte Bergman (bass), and John Bjurström (drums)—dedicated to the art of live performance and improvisation. Merging jazz’s freeform energy with the rhythmic pulse of hip-hop and the soulful depth of R&B, the band’s sound is both timeless and forward-thinking. Their approach embraces the rawness of live musicianship, creating a fresh sonic landscape that resonates with the essence of legends like J Dilla and D’Angelo. With a deep respect for both classic and modern influences, Pink Butter is not just making music—they’re redefining the space where jazz, soul, and hip-hop converge.

Pink Butter’s debut EP is a bold fusion of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and indie, blending structured composition with raw improvisation. Rooted in deep grooves and spontaneous creativity, the project channels influences like J Dilla, D’Angelo, and Robert Glasper while carving out a sound uniquely their own.

With live instrumentation at its core, the band brings an organic, dynamic energy that bridges classic and contemporary influences. Collaborations with legendary artists like T3 of Slum Village and Jermaine Holmes (D’Angelo) add an undeniable depth, reinforcing their vision of modern soul-jazz innovation. This release isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s an experience where musical chemistry and fearless creativity take centre stage.
Pink Butter is a Scandinavian collective of four musicians—Oskar Bettinsoli (guitar), Björn Lehnert (keys), Malte Bergman (bass), and John Bjurström (drums)—dedicated to the art of live performance and improvisation. Merging jazz’s freeform energy with the rhythmic pulse of hip-hop and the soulful depth of R&B, the band’s sound is both timeless and forward-thinking. Their approach embraces the rawness of live musicianship, creating a fresh sonic landscape that resonates with the essence of legends like J Dilla and D’Angelo. With a deep respect for both classic and modern influences, Pink Butter is not just making music—they’re redefining the space where jazz, soul, and hip-hop converge.

Compiled by Philip King
“And then came the rise of synth pop : blokes with dodgy haircuts hunched over keyboard-operated
machines stuffed with wires and do-it-yourself tone oscillators making sounds like a brood of geese
passing gas in a wind tunnel. Whoopee! This is the way the ‘70s ended : not with a blood-curdling bang
bang but with a cheap, synthesized, emasculating whimper.”
NICK KENT, NME.

All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985 is a new compilation that charts the
underbelly of the epoch-defining sound of the synthesiser in 80s popular music. Compiled by Philip
King (previously seen compiling All The Young Droogs, Glitterbest and Boobs - The Junkshop
Glam Discotheque), the music here connects the dots between DIY synth enthusiasts grappling with
new, cheap synthesisers at the tail-end of punk and wannabe, jobbing songwriters enthral to the new
music pioneered by Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller’s Mute Records. Featuring rare
tracks of auto-didactic progressive pop music, proto-techno punk, shoot-for-the-stars-land-in-the-gutter
chart flops and heralded, underground synth classics, School Daze paints a picture of beautiful failure.
Complete with extensive sleeve notes written by King and never before seen imagery, all 24 tracks
were remastered by RPM in-house engineer Simon Murphy, many from vinyl copies due to lost master
tapes. The story told on All The Young Droids is one of the dawning opportunity presented by both the
emergence to the market of cheaper analog synthesisers and the distribution networks plus indie labels
that exploded with the advent of punk music in 1976. While the music that sprouted out all over the
globe in the wake of these factors was decried as fake, plastic, a refutation of punk’s guitar-led
revolution, it’s telling that much of the music on All The Young Droids.. was created in bedrooms,
ramshackle studios and home-made set ups with often borrowed equipment. In the era of record labels
jumping to capitalise on the success of The Sex Pistols, The Clash (both on major labels, of course)
these artists struggled to stand out from a new gold-rush with next to no budget or PR team. With radio
and labels desperate for the new Yazoo, what resulted was a testament to necessity being the mother
of invention.

At the time, the synthesiser was the music of the future, a shiny new machine that could paint like an
orchestra with a single finger and a 4-track. In the hands of Manchester avant-pranksters Gerry & The
Holograms it’s a pulsing, sardonic weapon.. the only instrument on the Messthetics classic lampooning
of New Wave fashion. In Hamburg, a 16 year old Andreas Dorau used it to write and record (with his
female classmates on vocals) a global smash in Fred Vom Jupiter (later licensed to Mute Records).
The hard-to-find English version (Fred From Jupiter, natch) is included here. Many artists with alreadystoried careers caught the bug and recorded synthesiser-fuelled peons to space, computers, the future
and, of course, love-interests. Harry Kakoulli, late of Squeeze, recorded a solo album in 1979 that
included the incredible power-synth-pop smash-that-never-smashed I’m On A Rocket. Similarly, Ian
North of Neo and American Power Pop stalwarts Milk ’n’ Cookies bought a Korg MS20 and used a
tape machine to record We’re Not Lonely, an absolute lost-classic of minimal synth pop. We’re Not
Lonely also features on the Junkshop Synth Pop sampler 7” twinned with John Howard unreleased
track You Will See, released April 12th 2025.

There are plenty of compilation debuts in evidence. Sole Sister were a mysterious trio who were
featured on the Scaling Triangles compilation of female-fronted, queer-adjacent post-punk /
underground music that also featured The Petticoats. Selwin Image were from San Francisco and
featured members of the recently defunct power pop/punk group The Pushups. Their stupidly catchy
The Unknown fizzes with New Wave energy - think XTC to Sparks but remains unreleased until now.
Dream Unit’s A Drop In The Ocean is an early synth wave cut, positively teaming with Joy Division
instrumentation, previously only released on a long-forgotten and super rare, self-released EP.
Incandescent Luminaire’s Famous Names belies an archetypal struggle of a small-town trying to
make it in a cruel industry but is a thrilling New Romantic-Synth Wave cross over with a OMD
gloominess that’s a joy to hear. Feminist Minimal Wave track I Am A Time Bomb by performance artist
Peta Lilly and Michael Chance is a revelation destined for new found cult status. It was released on 7”
and lost until now.

The flipside to the subterranean, never-made-it synth pop mentioned above are the ambitious, even
fruity attempts at success that have a perennial elegance to their confidence. New Jersey-ite Billy
London (real name Ed Barth) tried to cash in on the synth boom with Woman, released by a major
label, a lurching new wave track built on the Louie Louie rhythm and a wonderfully camp Lou Reedstyle sleazy vocal before exploding in the synthesised chorus. The song bombed but with a chorus like
this, you have to wonder why? Ex-Glitter Band member John Springate’s My Life is truly epic, with
doomed chord progressions and massive sounding drums turning into at least 3 different songs in the
course of the track. Before you wonder what’s going on the song resolves with a glorious return to the
main refrain.

The dry-ice-dressed dance floor is well catered for too. Design’s Premonition and Vision’s Lucifer’s
Friend are stone-cold minimal synth bangers, well loved but given a new lease of life here. The
Warlord’s The Ultimate Warlord was released in 1978, a homespun proto Hi NRG banger that was
later re-recorded by The Immortals in Canada who had a club hit with it. One-man- band Disco
Volante’s No Motion was re-issued by Synth wave label Medical in 2012 but makes its first vinyl
compilation appearance here. Close your eyes and you can imagine what Lawrence of Felt would have
sounded like with some cheap Korgs a little earlier in his career. Gibraltar-based trio The Microbes
imagined a computer programming people to dance - how prescient - and ended up with a propulsive,
robo-funk track with splendid rubbery bass playing over a tectonic drum machine. Previously picked up
by Belgian label Stroom TV, Dee Jay Bert & Eagle’s heavily Euro-accented I Am Your Master
demands the listener to “come to paradise!” In a frankly terrifying manner.
All The Young Droids is the first compilation to peel away from the narrative that dour, Minimal Synth
and Cold Wave were the only musical children of the first rush of synth pop. Philip King and School
Daze Records describe a much more complicated world: along with the austere, Brutalist children of
Daniel Miller (who produced Alan Burnham’s Bowie-Low-influenced Science Fiction here) was a
plethora of desperate cash-ins, accidental mainstream hits, ambitious pop dramas and major label
punts that went nowhere. Crucially, the compilation blurs the line between junk and treasure. What if the
two things are interchangeable. What if it’s all science fiction?

Boston producer Michaelangelo has been building a very solid reputation in the game over the last few years through his collaborations with CRIMEAPPLE, Rome Streetz, RLX and Primo Profit just to name a few. On his new project "Table For One", he provides Rochester, NY legend in the making Eto with some soulful still gritty beats to deliver his street raps, alongside CRIMEAPPLE, Estee Nack, Primo Profit and Chronic Tone.

Mutant, in partnership with Hollywood Records and Marvel, is proud to present MARVEL RIVALS: GALACTIC TUNES, the soundtrack to the highly anticipated MARVEL RIVALS video game.

The soundtrack to Marvel's first Team-Based Superhero Shooter is appropriately epic in every way. It’s heavy on guitar solos, symphonic strings, choirs, and powerful percussion, with infectious melodies that make for an endlessly listenable experience, even outside of the game itself.

The album starts with Adriana Figueroa's "Rivals 'Til the End (Main Theme),” which instantly becomes one of the best anime opening themes you’ve never heard of until today. It’s an immediate earworm that leads off a compilation of fifteen incredibly kinetic tracks, including South Korean singer Le'mon's "Fate of Both Worlds," a mid-album pop funk classic in the making.

Bitterviper is an all-new configuration of individuals and intent. Nikos Veliotis (cello), Taku Unami (synthesizer), Sarah Hennies (percussion) and David Grubbs (piano, guitars) have all participated - solo and as collaborators - in some of the most striking avant music-making of the past couple of decades. Their quartet"s collective minimalist interplay passes through dense harmonic fields, transcendentally ionized ambient moods and soundtracks.

D.S.A. and Night School Records are once more teaming up to release a limited edition 7”: Certe Notti by Molly Nilsson. The
record contains the two new songs Un Po’ Più Vicino al Cielo and Il Peggior Bar di Caracas.
The songs were written and recorded in August 2024 in San Giorgio del Sannio, Benevento, during a month long artist
residency, made possible thanks to the kind invitation and hospitality of AUNA a.p.s.
A whole moon spent between local festivities, sagras and late nights in the best of worst bars, making new friends
forever and life-long memories (including an unforgettable Inti-Illimani concert), all infused with sweet drinks and ancient
lore of local witches.
The cover art depicts the view from the window on one of those nights, the rising moon, Liquore Strega yellow, and the
inlay hints at Nilsson's favourite crosswords magazine. With all these distractions it’s really a wonder any music was
made at all. But thanks in large part to endless espressi and ginseng, two new songs came to be. The first is Nilsson’s
first opus in the Italian language! The second, a hommage to her favourite joint and hang out, The Worst
Bar in Caracas.

Ben Nichols is best known as the frontman and songwriter for the long-running Memphis rock band Lucero. Now, at age 50, he is releasing one of his most personal pieces of work, a rare solo album titled In the Heart of the Mountain.
The album features Nichols on acoustic guitar and vocals, as well as the occasional electric guitar solo and percussion. He is accompanied by Morgan Eve Swain (The Huntress and the Holder of Hands, The Devil Makes Three, Brown Bird) on violin and backing vocals, Cory Branan on electric and acoustic guitars, and Todd Beene (Chuck Ragan, Glossary) on pedal steel and electric guitars. It was recorded at Southern Grooves studio in Memphis, Tennessee with Matt Ross-Spang as the recording and mixing engineer.

Says Nichols 'I'd say In the Heart of the Mountain is the closest I've come to making an album completely on my own terms. I had help from a great engineer and great friends who also happened to be amazing studio musicians, but it was self produced. I wrote it without input from anyone else. There were no band members to negotiate parts and approaches with. It wasn't based on a novel or a theme. The only inspiration was that desire to create something that lived in my memories of those rivers, fields, and mountains,
in that mythological Arkansas my family called home, where I grew up. I haven't been able to get back there nearly as often as I would like."

We are very happy to announce the re-issue of this new age / synthpop masterpiece from the early nineties. An uptempo and timeless floorfiller with extra unreleased mixes on vinyl: Low Spirite Remix and the German lyric version of Golden Dreams.
The band come up with a totally new cover design making this release truly special. Limited copies.

We are very happy to announce the re-issue of this new age / synthpop masterpiece from the early nineties. An uptempo and timeless floorfiller with extra unreleased mixes on vinyl: Low Spirite Remix and the German lyric version of Golden Dreams.
The band come up with a totally new cover design making this release truly special. Limited copies.

Cosey Fanni Tutti has announced details of a new album, 2t2, set for release on the artist’s own imprint, Conspiracy International, on 13 June 2025 on vinyl & CD. Composed, performed and produced by Cosey Fanni Tutti, the 9-track album moves between propulsive beat constructions and expansive electronic explorations, continuing themes from 2019’s acclaimed album TUTTI. It is a personal reflection; a sonic realisation of her life, drawing on her powerful inner resolve and expressing it through music. The album finds Cosey making sense of some very tough years, dealing with personal bereavements alongside swingeing world events that have impacted us all. Centring on her own strength and self will, the album’s two distinct sides – one rhythmic, one more meditative – are connected by an overwhelmingly positive mood. She explains, “My overtone chanting on the track ‘Stound’ was part of that, tapping into the inner self, to the core of your being, emotionally, physically, allowing the sounds to permeate and soothe as well as create a sense of power, resistance and resilience to what we face.” Even in the more melancholic moments, there’s a lightness that she explains is an “acknowledgement that it’s alright to be sad, that’s part of life, but there is so much joy too in our memories of people we lose and in the moments we share with each other. Joy is our resistance.” There are also threads from her most recent projects running through 2t2. Her latest book RE-SISTERS and the score she wrote for Caroline Catz’s film Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes are acknowledged, most directly on ‘Threnody’ which is dedicated to Delia Derbyshire and Andy Christian, an artist friend of Delia’s. He sent Cosey an abstract drawing of the same name, created one night from an improvised evening where he drew while Derbyshire intoned and sang softly as she looked at the drawings, as if reading a score expressing how they made her feel. Cosey’s process and the different strands that make up her work form a totality of vision. She goes on to say, “Once you get creating and listening, weaving, collaging sound it’s a wonderfully fulfilling feeling that takes you both out of yourself at the same time as essentially deep within.”

The artwork reflects this idea that the album is a “sound cameo”, reflecting the light within the music, and the buzz of life that exists within all of Cosey’s work. Musician, artist and author Cosey Fanni Tutti has continually challenged boundaries and conventions through her work. As a founding member of the hugely influential avant-garde band Throbbing Gristle, one half of electronic pioneers Chris and Cosey, and as an artist channelling her experience in pornographic modelling and striptease, her work on the margins has reshaped the mainstream. Her first solo album, Time To Tell (1983) was followed by 2019’s Tutti and 2022’s Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes. Her debut book, the Penderyn Music Book Prize shortlisted Art Sex Music, was published in 2017, followed by RE-SISTERS in 2022 (both Faber), which will soon get a Spanish edition.

Experience the magic of a timeless classic reborn: this exclusive 7" vinyl features a brand-new remake of the iconic "I Believe in Miracles", produced by French groove maestro MonsieurWilly and performed by the radiant soul vocalist Natalie Nova. With a perfect balance of vintage disco vibes and fresh production finesse, this release breathes new life into the legendary track, making it both nostalgic and clubready. Adding to its irresistible charm, the remake is infused with a Latin summerinspired rhythm—a driving, syncopated beat that designs the heartbeat of Latin music. Ment to be upbeat and danceable, the track incorporates percussive grooves, rhythmic guitars, and tasteful electronic elements to create a vibrant, sun-soaked atmosphere that feels right at home from beach bars to dancefloors. The collaboration between MonsieurWilly and Natalie Nova delivers a unique blend of soulful warmth, infectious energy, and rhythmic flair. Natalie Nova’s powerful vocals shine with emotion and style, while MonsieurWilly’s production wraps it all in a groove-heavy, analog-inspired soundscape. This 7" is pressed on high-quality vinyl and is ideal for collectors, DJs, and lovers of soul, disco, and feel-good summer anthems. Don't miss this limited edition release - proof that miracles still happen on wax.

Demdike Stare & Cherrystones unveil a long-in-the-making darkside fantasy weaving atmospheric and loose-limbed cuts recorded at labs in London and Manchester, brilliantly shaking a bush of ghostly trig points ranging from the Mars rehearsal tapes to Minimal Man, Randy Greif’s cut-ups, Conrad Schnitzler’s industrial prototypes and ‘70s ECM sides – with vocal contributions from Ssabae’s mesmerising Laura Lippie.

In dazed pursuit of styles heard on Cherrystones’ DDS tape ‘Peregrinations in SHQ (Super High Quality)’, the renowned London digger properly hexes sonic leylines with his label bosses on 10 wickedly grubby and hazed sound experiments. They tumble down the rabbit hole like some sixth sense-guided call-and-response, resulting in an exquisite unfolding of psychoacoustic spaces familiar to their mutually spirited sounds.

Honestly it's some of the dirtiest and most esoteric gear we've heard from Demdike; you can sense a lifetime of incessant digging drip through every loop and crack; grotty no-wave, industrial noise, DIY psych, proto-techno and gnarled concrète, further bolstered by Cherrystones’ perpendicular, equally insatiable and fathoms-deep areas of interest. With a focus on scrappy, feral cuts and hastily recorded edits, the trio roughly re-draw wordless chants and hyper-compressed knocks over a vortex of found sounds that curdle in rhythmic heat. Never staying sill for long, the trio get drowned by watery ambience, then shredded loops, Technoid shrapnel and electric bass prangs dancing into the aether.

The crankiest spirit perfuses the whole thing, evoking states of unravel and psychic distress as they pit a near-peerless collective knowledge into the void. Laura Lippie acts as human ligature to sanity, a fleeting constant found smudged into the hip hop chops of ‘Familiar Unfamiliarity’, spectral incantations of ‘Prophet in View’, or a channelling of Ozzy in ‘Thee Oath’, among more deranged tongues on ‘Observing the Crux’.

It’s the missing link between ECM, Earth and Dilloway we didn’t know we needed - up there with some of the most satisfyingly deep and frazzled gear this century.

Bebedera takes the style of Tarraxo to a heightened awareness of its sexual nature. Tight, wicked layers of percussion, a suggestive ID ("Drinking is his life"), a slow pace that's not only perceptively slow, it sounds charged with intent, even malice, dissolution. Letting go of morality may be the big attraction in the music, permission to get down, this time in a heavy, conspicuous manner instead of a spiritual, breezy floatation. One has to recognize the impulse in ourselves. Once at peace with this rough nature, there are sublime grooves to follow, mind-boggling arrangements, a freedom from judgement in connecting with what may seem to be at first a very masculine take on dancefloor sensuality but which is in fact only human. Just with less filters.

In other ways, an aural combination of metal and flesh produces this notion of a cyborg, a very expressive physical body making its weight known to everybody around, a sort of walking fortress as in the "Moderan" group of sci-fi short stories. A glorious rattle of lata percussion, scraps from the junkyard. A sense of unease, even slight danger starts a flow of adrenalin. According to DJ Marfox, it's not the only thing flowing, there's also a strong desire for intercourse when a Bebedera tarraxo is playing. His very distinctive style has been a cult favourite for years. Accordingly, it took years to make contact, to reach an agreement, and the result is a set of classics that stretch as far back as 2014. Still the same punch, still the feeling no one has really stepped into this territory with such force.

Flipping the construct on its head, there's two Bebedera house tracks, we'd say almost an oddity, an abrupt change from the previous density of atmosphere, though they retain all the percussive bounce. Sensual, sure, a different tempo also letting through a romantic disposition other than the sheer physical attraction. One of the titles sums up the aesthetical power at play: "I Will Beat The Top High". As in reaching further out, further up. Wanting to. Time freezes - 2014 and 2016 (production years of these two tracks), fold up and melt into the Present. Where it matters.

PARADE is an 8-piece group, predominantly from Brighton and now based in London. Its members - who are all involved in their own capacities in music, art, fashion, design and more - have been making music since they met at college in Brighton, flipping records and making beats in founding member Jago’s attic room. Since then the sound has evolved to incorporate live instrumentation alongside electronic elements. Though always collaborating in each other’s orbits, PARADE was fully formed when all members gravitated towards South-East London, scattering around in musically less mythologised areas across Nunhead, Forest Hill, Camberwell and Norwood.

Lightning Hit The Trees is the band's debut mixtape, and was entirely written, produced, engineered, and mixed in just two weeks. It was recorded in a shipping container in Forest Hill on basic, often broken, equipment with ideas often formed in the moment. As demonstrated by these two first singles, the mixtape pulls together a body of music that incorporates a wide range of ideas from a group of inventive, inspired new artists and comes together in a remarkably clear and unified vision. The mixtape is guided by uncanny valleys, cinematic tones, “hyper-real” mixing techniques, and by a light with no shadow. Influences include: Wim Wenders, Juergen Teller, Velvet Underground, Radio Dept., Scott Walker, Magliano, Soft Machine, This Heat, Pixies, John Cassavetes, Domenico Gnoli, Dadaists, Judy Garland, Cindy Lee, Arca, Bette Davis, Sun Ra.

For the fourth release on her celebrated record label Uppers and Downers, Dr.Rubinstein returns to the producer's seat with Take This Pill, a new 3-track EP that showcases the dynamic, ever-widening range of her signature acid sound. Lacing lively dancefloor cuts with a dose of personal storytelling and a playful yet honest take on mental health, Take This Pill delivers on Rubi's distinct ability to honor classic rave sensibilities while also always imparting her own unique twist.

The title track journeys from dark, acid-laced electro breaks into a shimmering wash of euphoric synths, energized along the way by drumrolls, hoovers, and a vocal refrain repeatedly voicing the Doctor's prescription: "Take this pill!" More than just a nod to classic XTC bangers, "Take This Pill" explores the emotional spectrum of neurodivergence and the pharmaceutical pathways many embark upon on a quest to "fit in," mirroring the lived experience of internal struggle giving way to external composure.

Things shift up a few gears on track two, the aptly-titled "No Brainer," a relentlessly energetic, no-nonsense stomper designed with the soul purpose of making you move. The track features sidewinding Goa-tinged acid lines swirling through a hard trance kick scape adorned by with soaring strings and shimmering cymbal rolls.

The EP concludes with a gorgeous, melodic rave-infused cut that shows a more tender, reflective side of Rubinstein's repertoire. Referencing one of Rubi's favorite tunes, The KLF's iconic "3 AM Eternal," diaphenous ambient vocals soar over a melancholic acid ballad that, never to be taken too seriously, is punctuated by humorous woops and cheeky rave whistles.
With Take This Pill, Dr. Rubinstein invites listeners into her world-one where vulnerability, humor, and acid rave euphoria collide. A perfect addition to her label's growing catalog, Take This Pill upholds the mission of Uppers and Downers: to collect and circulate timeless, tried-and-true tunes that celebrate the uplifting, affirmative power of rave music.

Originally released in 2003, Marcos Valle’s Contrasts combined early noughties production techniques with his trademark Brazilian songwriting brilliance. The album quickly became one of Valle’s most in-demand, with tracks like the triumphant “Parabéns” (which was sampled by Childish Gambino, covered by Tom Misch and remixed by Misa Negra) and bossa beach classic “Agua de Coco”, both becoming firm fan favourites.

Produced by Roc Hunter, and executive produced by Joe Davis, with musicians including Robertinho Silva (percussion), Alex Malheiros (bass), and Marcos’ wife Patricia Alvi (vocals), Contrasts encapsulated Valle’s ever evolving musical vision, bringing together samba, baião, bossa pop, broken beat, house, trip-hop and more, on one era-defining record.

After 22 years, Contrasts is finally set for a double LP vinyl and CD reissue, with the original mix of “Valeu” and “My Nightingale” making it onto the vinyl edition for the first time.

Ursprünglich für den RSD in UK exklusiv, Restmenge jetzt überall erhältlich.

Sneaker Social Club is pleased to direct your attention to this sparse and weighty club gear incoming from a sizeable new talent on the scene, Beton Brut.

Following on from his previous drops on Plasma Sources and Coyote Records, Beton Brut steps onto this latest platter with a surefooted sound. It’s informed by weightless grime, minimal techno and brittle electro, but he carves his own incisive path towards the hoods-up-heads-down Dancefloor.

This is stark, moody gear to get lost in — the dexterous sound design slipping around the rhythm core of ‘Tobacco Earthworm’; gleams in high-definition, but never at the expense of the eerily stripped-back atmosphere. ‘Booters’ snips up a clutch of clippings from grime and scatters them across the timeline in a scrapbook style, making a deadly, dislocated love letter to the sound in the process. Approaching mutant, hybrid club music with a considered poise, this is exactly the kind of forward-thinking bassweight gear that Sneaker thrives on.

DJ support - Alix Perez, Fracture, Lenzman, Kyle Hall, Doc Scott.

Introducing a new remix EP series from Rosebay Music aiming to connect the dots between soulful D&B and more disparate styles, tempos and scenes - with remixes coming in from a carefully selected group of artists reinterpreting tunes from the catalogue in fresh and unexpected ways.

Detroit’s Kyle Hall has been 1 of the cities main ambassadors of soulful, gritty house & techno over the last 15 years. Here he’s joined by instrumentalist Ian Fink to deliver a classic slice of deep and raw Detroit house music in his remix of Submorphics - Blastoff. This unforeseen linkup between Kyle Hall and Submorphics represents a rare joining of forces between 2 Detroit-born artists who have both repped their hometown’s aesthetic quite heavily in their respective scenes.

Noodles142 is the new alias of D&B star Satl - making fresh bangers fusing UKG, techno, dubstep and bass music in a classic-yet-futuristic way. Here he flips Submorphics - Hey Baby into deep, dark and dubby 140 territory paying homage to middle-of-the-night Detroit grittyness.

Primitive Instinct has quickly become one of the hottest upcoming names in D&B, repping Bristol with ultra-modern production, swinging drums, gorgeous synth work and amazing vocal sample manipulation. His stellar EP on The North Quarter convinced Rosebay to get him to remix Submorphics - Cinerama; and the result is a truly infectious dancefloor weapon.

The final remix comes from one of the current stars of 1985 Music: Trail. Repping the Toulouse D&B scene over the last few years, Trail has a unique knack for melody, harmony and groove that sets him apart from other modern liquid artists. Here he flips Submorphics, Zar & aya dia’s modern classic “Another Level Of Love” into a trippy and experimental heater. A diverse and eclectic selection of remixes from some very intriguing artists each existing in their own lane. Enjoy the ride!

Turning heads with their unique blend of garage, psych, punk rock Bad Bangs played across notable festivals and club shows throughout a 23 show run in 2024. Making waves at Left of The Dial (NL), Leffingeleuren (BE), Truenorayo (ES) and Gliding Barnacles Festival (PT) Bad Bangs make a charging return to the 2025 European Summer festival circuit. Their 2024 sophomore release Out Of Character was the first offering since their debut album Character Building. Somewhere between punk and country, folk and psych, Bad Bangs find themselves Out Of Character. The Melbourne based outfit's sophomore album bends across genres to form a unique soundscape of their own. Live tracking with the masterful Paul Maybury (Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, The Murlocs) captured the bands enigmatic live energy, whilst mastering by Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders, The White Stripes, The Dirtbombs, The Gore Gore Girls) secured the signature gritty sound of Bad Bangs. The album arrives with the punchy, punk-laced opening track Contest, which questions the fabric of an industry hell bent on image and conformity, and concludes with the psych infused Wild Mess which laments the shifting state of the natural world. Themes of social and environmental unrest swirl in the undercurrent of an album reflecting on immediate frustrations and personal reflection. With a staple cult following in their hometown of Melbourne, Bad Bangs have supported a high caliber of contemporaries over the years such as Shannon and The Clams, The Murlocs, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Chastity Belt. Bad Bangs Out Of Character is set for re-release through Beast records (FR) and locally released via Blossom Rot Records (AU&NZ) (Snowy Band, Cassie Ramone and more) Bad Bangs are part of Ya Ya Yeah's booking roster throughout EU. Bad Bangs members are Shelby De Fazio, Tim Ryles, Sophia Lubczenko and Gab Portocarrero.

Over the course of nearly a decade making music, Alicia Jeanine and Jed Smith have charted a distinctive course through the history of pop, evoking influences as varied as the 60s folk of early Fairport Convention and Vashti Bunyan, the sunshine pop of Margo Guryan and Laura Nyro, and indiepop touchstones like Dear Nora, Marine Girls and Dolly Mixture. The new album finds Jeanines grappling with themes of personal upheaval and self-excavation, adding weight to their finest set of songs yet. With Alicia's lyrics incisively interrogating connections, ruptures, and time and its reverberations, songs like "Coaxed a Storm," "What's Done Is Done," and "On and On" combine rich melody with co-composer Jed's crisp arrangements (along with contributions from longtime live show bassist Maggie Gaster) to stellar effect. Where How Long Can It Last really shines is, as always, in the songs. While the themes are sometimes heavy, the melodies and harmonies are simply heavenly, elevating these economical songs to give each the feeling of a lost classic. From the first notes of opener "To Fail" to jaunty closer "Wrong Direction," this album announces itself as the work of a band in full command of their art (and craft).

‘Idealism’ is an album about navigating life in the 2020s as millennial adults, and all the difficulties and uncertainties that come with that - knowing you’ll probably never be able to afford to buy a house, and that a simple grocery shop costs way more than ever before. But it’s also about all the joys and positives of modern life too - being kind to yourself, being kind to other people, and overcoming difficulties.
The band tries to capture that dichotomy on this album, hence the title ‘Idealism’, which the dictionary says is “the unrealistic belief in or pursuit of perfection”.
The album has been a long time in the making, diligently demoed before tracking across studios in London & Essex. Taking a more pop production approach, layering parts and additional keyboards, synthesisers and percussion to add a richer and fuller sound to their traditional indie rock set up.
Nostalgia has always been a running theme for Don’t Worry, as displayed on 2022’s ‘Remorseless Swing’ and 2018 debut album ‘Who Cares Anyway?’. There’s a decent dose of it on this new album still, including on the cover, with a photograph taken in their home of Harlow New Town in 2001 by Jim Brown. And in their musical influences, Pavement, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, The Streets, Fleetwood Mac, UK Grime and The GTA Vice City Soundtrack (alongside contemporary influences such as Fontaines D.C., MJ Lenderman, Andy Shauf).
But perhaps for the first time on this album, they push through the comfort of the past, embrace the present and look forward to the future with hope.

Voodoo 5 brings Exotica to Alternative Tentacles with “Moon Over Marin”! In a genre where most bands are content to imitate old records, Voodoo 5 are making new ones—brave, bold, and unlike any exotica record you’ve ever heard. Led by composer/guitarist Skip Heller—producer to/protege of Robert Drasnin, orchestrator for Elisabeth Waldo, bandleader for Yma Sumac—and vocalist Lena Marie Cardinale, an operatic Sumac acolyte and former El Vez Elvette, Voodoo 5 has established themselves as a blistering live act not only at exotica festivals like Tiki Oasis and Tiki Caliente, but also such jazz venues as the Century Room (Tucson), Carousel (Palm Springs), and at various clubs in Los Angeles, their home base. Cardinale and Heller are rounded out by an all-star ensemble (Jay Work, flute, Mark Riddle, vibraphone, Connor Gallaher, steel guitar, Paul Eckman, upright bass, and Cesar Ventura, congas) who groove harder than do most exotica groups, all the while spotlessly executing some of the most interesting arrangements the genre has to offer.

Formed in 2012 by long-time musical companions Oyvind Holm and Hogne Galaen,
the band quickly grew into the six- piece musical force they are today. Their unique
sound fuses cosmic Americana and rich vocal harmonies with catchy melodies, highspirited improvisation, and contagious musical energy that will leave you craving
more.
The six members come from diverse musical backgrounds but are united by their
shared love of psychedelia and cosmic Americana. They draw particular inspiration
from the California sound of the late '60s, with bands like The Byrds, Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young, and the Grateful Dead as key infuences.
Between 2012 and 2019, the band recorded and released fve critically acclaimed
albums, two of which were recorded in the California desert at the legendary Rancho
De La Luna, nestled among the Joshua trees. Like many other artists, the pandemic
shook their foundations, forcing the band into an involuntary hiatus. In the aftermath
of lockdowns and other imposed restrictions, the backlash from other projects kept
them from picking up where they had left off.
However, the fall of 2024 brought new opportunities. An unexpected email from Mike
Scott of The Waterboys reignited their spirit and motivation. While on tour in Norway,
Scott discovered one of their albums and was so taken by their sound that he invited
them to contribute vocal harmonies to 'The Tourist,' a track off The Waterboys' new
album Life, Death & Dennis Hopper.
Soon after, an even greater opportunity arose--an invitation to join The Waterboys on
tour in the UK and Scandinavia. To accompany the upcoming tour, we've put together
a beginner's guide to Sugarfoot.
The compilation album Cosmic Norse Americana features nine highlights from
Sugarfoot's career so far, along with a newly recorded cover of Emitt Rhodes' 1967
track "Time Will Show The Wiser."
Sugarfoot:
Hogne Galaen - guitars, vocals
Even Granas - drums
Thomas Henriksen - keyboards
Oyvind Holm - guitars, vocals
Bent Saether - bass
Roar Oien - pedal steel
THOUGHTS AND WORDS
The Sugarfoot story begins back in 2011. But before there was Sugarfoot, there were
the Dipsomaniacs, Kulta Beats, Motorpsycho, Too Far Gone, and Deleted Waveform
Gatherings--bands that, in one way or another, featured future members of what would
eventually become Sugarfoot. Six musicians from diverse musical backgrounds,
united by a shared love of psychedelia and cosmic Americana. Drawing deep
inspiration from the California sound of the late '60s, their musical compass points
toward The Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Grateful Dead.
I say eventually, because Sugarfoot didn't start as a band--it began as a duo. Hogne
Galaen and Oyvind Holm had previously played together in Deleted Waveform
Gatherings. But when their drummer moved out of town, the group was put on ice. Not
ones to sit still, the two of them launched a side project to keep the creative wheels
turning.
Throughout the winter of 2011, they holed up in their rehearsal space, writing and
recording rough sketches of what would soon grow into a full album. And that's when
things got interesting. They drew up a wish list--a dream lineup of musicians they'd
love to bring into the fold.
Among the names on that list were Even Granas, Thomas Henriksen, Bent Saether,
and Roar Oien, all soon to be permanent Sugarfooters. Each was invited to contribute
to the project, adding their parts to the pre-recorded tracks--without knowing what the
others were doing. Like assembling a giant musical puzzle, Galaen and Holm later
pieced the album together from these blindfolded contributions. The result was This
Love That We Outwore, released in the fall of 2012.
From there, things escalated quickly. By the following year, Sugarfoot had become a
proper band. Big Sky Country-- written and recorded collectively-- landed in 2014,
solidifying the group's evolving sound, including favourites such as Dolphins Hotel and
Ego In A Bag. When it came time to record a third album, the band felt the itch for
something new. They wanted a change of scenery--somewhere that could spark fresh
inspiration and leave its own sonic fngerprint on the production. So they asked
themselves: where could they go that carried the spirit, the legacy, the stardust of their
musical heroes?
That search led them to the California desert, to the legendary Rancho De La Luna,
nestled among the Joshua trees. Their next two albums, Different Stars (2016) and
The Santa Ana (2017), were both recorded at the Rancho. In fact, The Santa Ana was
both recorded and mixed during a two- week stay in 2015, making it a true time
capsule in the band's discography.

Black Vinyl LP. The world has changed, we shouldn't try and pretend otherwise. While we were shut away in isolation our routines shifted, social patterns evolved, and our hopes and dreams were twisted into cobwebs we're still trying to wipe from our fingers. Ziúr tentatively approached this on her last album Antifate, an ambitious and complex hybrid pop fever dream that looked back to a Medieval escapist fantasy as the scent of revolution seemed to hum in the air. But when restrictions were eased, she found herself staring down a discombobulated society that had trapped itself in a spiral of microwaved nostalgia and detached, narcotic repetition. Eyeroll then is Ziúr's musical panacea, a tincture to wake us from our creative slumber and prompt external connection and reflection. It's a polyphonous hex that demands human interaction, and Ziúr's hand-picked alliance of collaborators - Elvin Brandhi, Abdullah Miniawy, Iceboy Violet, Juliana Huxtable, Ledef, and James Ginzburg - each provide distinct voices that together herald a bewildering sonic epoch. Ziúr's palette had to evolve to match the scope of the project, but it was pure necessity that informed the album's defining tone. Recording mostly at night, Ziúr was conscious of the noise she was making so developed a unique way to record organic percussion. Using a set of rototoms - low profile tunable drums - she scratched, scraped and gently tapped the skins to build up the undulating and unstable rhythmic backdrop for each track. It's the first sound we hear on the opener 'Eyeroll', rattling like lost marbles against Elvin Brandhi's primal croaks and screams. And when Brandhi's twisted articulations form words, Ziúr matches the energy with chaotic thuds and serrated blasts of saturated electronics. "I roll the shittiest cigarette," she squeals like she's about to start a mosh pit at Paris's GRM Studios. Without pause, Abdullah Miniawy takes over on 'Malikan', building on the promise of material with Simo Cell, Carl Gari and HVAD with corrosive trumpet blasts and charged, politically incendiary Arabic vocals. Inspired by pre-Islamic poetry and the Qu'ranic chanters he heard growing up in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, he spins labyrinthine stories that cross between the worlds, breaking down physical and spiritual borders simultaneously. Miniawy's scope is expanded even further on his second collaboration, 'If The City Burns I Will Not Run'. "If it rains and the city drowns," he utters over gaseous electronics, "I will not run away, but I will be anxious for the heart of one close to me." After a supple vocal turn from Manchester's Iceboy Violet on 'Move On' and a surreal interlude from poet- DJ-artist-theorist Juliana Huxtable on '99 Favor Taste', Brandhi returns with two more hyperactive collaborations: ,'Nontrivial Differential' and 'Cut Cut Quote'. On the former she slices into Ziúr's skeletal jazz eruptions, screaming and crooning interchangeably, fluxing between the rap battle and the cabaret. The latter is completely different meanwhile, with Brandhi settling into her role as front-woman and groaning dizzying improvised passages that sound like grunge crossed with psychedelic no-wave. Brandhi's spiky musical history has prepared her well for this collaboration; she's a prolific producer and has been using her voice spontaneously since debuting with father-daughter improv duo Yeah You in the mid 2020s. She's found an ideal foil in Ziúr, a producer who matches her restless energy and willingness to bend formality, and leaves an indelible mark on Eyeroll. But the album's most tender moments are from Ziúr herself, who winds the album down on 'Hasty Revisionism', growling over collapsible beats and cascading strings, and comes to an unexpected conclusion with country coda 'Lacrymaturity'. Its feverish amalgamation of country music and euphoric, experimental electronics might seem incongruous at first, but in context with the rest of the album is the only possible conclusion. With Eyeroll Ziúr is making a firm statement about togetherness, humanity, and the renewal of hope when all seems lost. By bringing together such a wide but philosophically harmonic team of collaborators, she's conducted a body of work that speaks to the creative fringe in no uncertain terms. Now's the time to throw away what you think you know, and build bridges you didn't think you need. Now's the time for action. She may have spent her entire career avoiding the solipsistic trappings of "queer art", but by assembling a communal statement that questions so many normative assumptions about music, politics, and beyond, Ziúr has chanced upon her queerest album yet. Cringe? Eyeroll.

After more than a decade of music-making, Durand Jones & The Indications have blossomed as a unit and are basking in their successes. On their aptly titled new album, Flowers, The Indications unfurl their true colors _ embracing all their roots and influences, maturation and confidence, and share them with the world. Since forming in 2012, the road has taken The Indications from those origins at Indiana University, Bloomington to the global stage, selling out shows across Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to the West Coast_ where DJI has a strong following among the lowrider and vintage soul enthusiasts. For as far as Durand Jones & The Indications have come, Flowers grew from the desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. Pulling sonically and spiritually from each of the group's previous releases and solo work, Flowers is the next stage of DJI's inspired soulful discography. DJI are not only accepting their flowers, but indulging in their sweet and sexy fragrance.

Transitioning from the successful 2 Years EP (O Sótão Records, 2023), Tiago Fonseca became an up and coming Producer and DJ based between Lisbon and Porto. On the back of gigs at some of the best clubs in the country, he also transitions from Tiago A.F. to TGZ (sounding Tigz) as his moniker for what’s to come ahead. Long Shape, his latest project, is O Sótão’s first vinyl release, and the first to be delivered with higher standards of professionalism. Learning the trade, the processes, the timeframes, the costs, and having just completed 10 years of existence. A good time to go a bit deeper.

In the summer, Tiago sent me a golden playlist of unfinished projects for a second opinion. The idea for a new record started there, and from the bunch we handpicked a selection that ended up making really a lot of sense for us. We were looking for wet deepness and eternal warm ups, pulling up the fader slowly. An invitation to leave our mental capsules and divert attention towards a seductive bassline cliff-hanging a dream. Progressiveness and jazz. Long shapes and melodies in the last frontier between nostalgia and hope.

To help, we invited Miguel Tenreiro (a.k.a. Gazpa) to master the tracks, with him adding a smooth-extra-delicious pump on the beautiful original elements. Miguel also picked up the title-track for a remix treatment, breaking up the tempo with a hip-hop-electronica finale, sprinkled by a guitar solo from Zé Nuno - another great musician stemming from Mr. Bean’s bar, where we held a residency for the past year.

Long Shape will drop on March 21st. Vinyls might be only available a bit later. It will be a landmark moment for us, being Tiago’s most complete work to date, and a better representation of his rich musical influences, expanding it, as we speak, to another level. It’s also been 10 years for O Sótão, so there’s that too. To sum up, I’m just very glad that Long Shape sounds exactly where we would like to be after all this time, with a quick image of a nite-lit skyscraper cutting into a couple of rocks being dropped in the coolest whiskey glass, and the people warming up to a dream.

Edition of 100 Vinyl 12’’, Cover 3mm spine

Posatronix, a prominent figure from Detroit, is well-known for his contributions to the electronic music scene and is a vital part of the AUX88 universe. His track "Shake It" has become a classic and a staple on dance floors both locally and globally. The song features infectious beats that perfectly capture the essence of Detroit's techno heritage while infusing it with Posatronix's unique flair. With its driving rhythm and catchy hooks, "Shake It" invites listeners to lose themselves on the dance floor, making it an enduring anthem for party-goers around the world. This track showcases Posatronix's exceptional production skills and solidifies his status as a key player in shaping the sound of modern electronic music.

From the depths of personal reckoning to the forefront of the UK"s alternative scene, SPLIT CHAIN have spent the past two years transmuting raw emotion into sound. Their debut album, motionblur, out soon on Epitaph Records, is a thunderous statement of intent-an electrifying fusion of shoegaze, grunge, and nu-metal that surges with both nostalgia and forward momentum. Sonically, motionblur captures a distinctive aesthetic, steeped in the melancholic haze of early 2000s alt-rock yet sharpened by the intensity of modern hardcore. Guitars drenched in chorus and distortion crash into ethereal, hook-laden vocals, forging a sound that"s at once crushingly heavy and deeply immersive. Following a string of self-released singles that organically amassed millions of streams, SPLIT CHAIN"s signing with Epitaph catapulted them further into the spotlight. Their first label-backed single pushed their streaming numbers past the 15-million mark, earning them accolades as AltPress" Breakout Artist of the Month and Revolver"s "Badass Rising Band to Know." With nods from Stereogum, The Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, and Metal Injection, the buzz around Split Chain is undeniable. With motionblur, SPLIT CHAIN aren"t just making an album-they"re making a moment. And if their trajectory so far is any indication, this is only the beginning.

From the depths of personal reckoning to the forefront of the UK"s alternative scene, SPLIT CHAIN have spent the past two years transmuting raw emotion into sound. Their debut album, motionblur, out soon on Epitaph Records, is a thunderous statement of intent-an electrifying fusion of shoegaze, grunge, and nu-metal that surges with both nostalgia and forward momentum. Sonically, motionblur captures a distinctive aesthetic, steeped in the melancholic haze of early 2000s alt-rock yet sharpened by the intensity of modern hardcore. Guitars drenched in chorus and distortion crash into ethereal, hook-laden vocals, forging a sound that"s at once crushingly heavy and deeply immersive. Following a string of self-released singles that organically amassed millions of streams, SPLIT CHAIN"s signing with Epitaph catapulted them further into the spotlight. Their first label-backed single pushed their streaming numbers past the 15-million mark, earning them accolades as AltPress" Breakout Artist of the Month and Revolver"s "Badass Rising Band to Know." With nods from Stereogum, The Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, and Metal Injection, the buzz around Split Chain is undeniable. With motionblur, SPLIT CHAIN aren"t just making an album-they"re making a moment. And if their trajectory so far is any indication, this is only the beginning.